


A Surprise Mother’s Day

by Antiism88



Series: Dansen Pre-Season 5 [2]
Category: Supergirl (TV 2015)
Genre: F/F
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2019-08-11
Updated: 2019-09-08
Packaged: 2020-08-18 20:17:04
Rating: Not Rated
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 7
Words: 8,138
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/20197540
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Antiism88/pseuds/Antiism88
Summary: Taking place a few days after Game Night Gladiators.





	1. Suds and Sports

While the Danvers sisters were having their weekly TV and take-out night across town, the Olsen siblings settled in for what had become their weekly companion evening: suds and sports. More of a wine and true crime woman, Kelly had actually initiated this tradition herself. As a kid, she knew James would look forward to their father’s army friends coming over to watch the Metropolis Meteors games. After Marcus Olsen passed away, his buddies still came over every Sunday night to watch with James . It let him keep a piece of his father with him and truth be told, it did the same for Kelly.

“So I know you think craft brew is overpriced and pretentious, but I couldn’t help myself when I saw this”, Kelly said as she entered James’ apartment, setting down a recently purchased six pack.

“Whaaaaat?”, James dragged his question in excited disbelief. The six-pack was filled the bottles covered in golden labels in the style of a very familiar shield. “Guardian Gold Ale? Why have I never seen this before? I’m touched,” he said touching his hand to his heart with a big smile.

“I think the question you should be asking yourself is: do I get a cut of the sales?”, Kelly teased in return.

“True”, James acknowledged. “Bring it in”, he said as he opened his arms into a giant wingspan. Kelly moved forward burying her body into his embrace.

“So”, Kelly moved from the hug, grabbing one of the ale bottles and heading into the living room where James had set out recently ordered pizza. “Tell me about your date”, she finished as she kicked off her shoes and shoved a slice of the pizza in her mouth.

“Make yourself at home, sis”, James touted back heading for the couch.

“Look, you shouldn’t ask me for first date suggestions if you don’t want the follow up questions”, Kelly defended.

“Honestly? It was kind of a bust”, James lamented.

“What? No way. She was looking pretty fine in that Tinder screenshot you sent”.

“Oh. She was fine. She also had the sense of humor of Brainy with none of the brains”, James finished.

“Bummer. You know now that we are living in the same city, I’m going to need you to start working on some nieces or nephews for me”.

James shook his head in amusement, “and now you sound like mom”. He sat up straighter and started shaking his finger in a disapproving manor. With a high pitched voice mimicking their mothers he said, “now James, I’m not gonna live forever. Your sister is always off in God knows what country never settling down. It’s on you to make me some grand-babies before the Lord calls me home”.

Kelly laughed at the impression literally able to see her mom saying those very words time and time again. “Please don’t tell me I sound like that. I’m not trying to sort out that kind of complex”, she rebutted.

“Nah. I’m just playin’. But I’ll keep trying for you”, James paused for a beat. “But what about you and Alex? Things felt kind of official at the last game night. Rolling in together. Rolling out together. Rolling back to your place together?”, his question dragging an air of playful curiosity with it.

“Uh. A lady doesn’t kiss and tell. As mom ALSO likes to say”, Kelly responded.

“Oh come on. You gotta give me SOMETHING. We are literally here tonight because you needed something to distract you during Danvers couch time”, James commented.

“Hey”, Kelly continued, “we are here because I’m happy to be so close to family again AND you needed someone else to watch the Meteors with now that Winn is gone and Brainy can’t watch without constantly crunching probability statistics”.

“Right”, James added skeptically. “Well, I’m glad we started doing this...whatever the reason”, he finished earnestly.

“Me too”, Kelly paused, “but honestly...is it weird for you? For me to talk about Alex? I know once you and Kara ended things they both became more like pseudo sisters. Sometimes it feels a little like I am walking into this community...this family that’s already been formed”.

James could tell his sister had been holding onto this thought longer than for just this moment. “Are you saying you feel like an outsider?”, he asked.

“A little. I mean”, she paused and then continued, “with Alex, it feels like we have this thing all on our own. When we met, I was dealing with the thought of losing you and then with the adoption disappointment, we created this bond, but it was totally separate from everything else. Don’t get me wrong, I love it. It’s like a sanctuary in the middle of storm sometimes, but there are moments that I realize I’m coming in partway through the story. You’ve all been through so much together and then I just sort of strolled in as just a ‘plus one’”.

“Hey”, James paused to grab on to his little sister’s hand, “Kelly Olsen could never be JUST a ‘plus one’. You’re right that we are a family, but you’re in that family now. You came in like a breath of fresh air. You’ve always been cool, calm, confident and collected...we’ve all been needing an anchor for a while. Someone to keep us all grounded and safe from the crazy”.

“So you’re saying what you all needed was quite literally a therapist?”, she smirked.

“Exactly”, he joked back, “But for real. Brainy called you logically sound, John said you were strong as hell, Nia asked to borrow your velvet blazer and Kara said you made Alex beam more than she had in nearly a year. That’s for real”.

“John did not say ‘as hell’”, Kelly snapped back. She was smiling, but clearly moved by her brothers comments. “Thank you though. Seriously. It’s nice to have my brother in my corner in moments of self-doubt”.

“I love you Kelly. I’m really glad you’re here. And yes, Alex is kind of like my sister too. And yeah, it was a little weird at first, but seeing the ease of happiness you have slipped into with her feels right”, said James.

“It feels right for me too and I never thought I would have that”, she stopped herself short of adding ‘again’. 

“You deserve it, sis. And I”, he paused to grab some pizza and turn the volume on the tv up as the pre-game commentators popped up on the screen, “deserve this win”.

“Nicely timed pivot...Jimmy”, using the nickname she promised wouldn’t leave their childhood and snatching the slice he grabbed earlier as if headed for his mouth.

“Uh. No fair. I’m telling mom”, James joked as he whipped out his phone, starting to pretend dial. 

Suddenly the phone lit up displaying the name and picture of the subject of their joke. “Hey mom”, James answered the call. “Oh yeah, she’s right here with me... about to watch the game.”

After a longer pause, James finished, “I will. Love you too. See you then”.

“So guess who else is going to be meeting the family and Director Danvers?”, James said. 

It was about to be Mother’s Day in National City. Guess who’s coming to dinner?


	2. Relationship Vertigo

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Taking place across town. Then same night as Suds and Sports.

“So what’s the verdict?”, Alex asked as she held up the two movie selections she chose from The National City Classics Vault. The local movie rental place was a relic and a novelty all in one. It’s fair to say it was the last rental place in town, but it was also the newest. The growing “hipster” population as Alex liked to called them, brought with them unique new businesses. While Alex couldn’t understand the concept of a laundromat bowling alley, Eliza Danvers raised her daughters on the black and white pictures of the 30’s and 40’s, so she could get behind an all classic cinema video rental place.

Sitting on the opposite end of couch, Kara had an easy choice between the two selections: The Thin Man or Vertigo? “Oh, The Thin Man. Hands down. You know I’m a Nick and Nora shipper for life”, Kara chose.

“I do, but I thought you might want to mix it up”.

“Why mess with perfection? Besides...I get enough action and chase scenes in my real life”, Kara replied.

“Ok”, Alex said as she walked over to place the DVD into Kara’s player. “It works out. Kelly would probably want me to save the psychological thriller for her anyways. And”, she continued as she walked back to the couch,”Vertigo is in color. I haven’t tested her patience for black and white yet. I’m not ready for the results”.

“Oh yeah. Total deal breaker”, Kara said in jest. “But I happen to know she at least likes Casablanca so I think you’re relationship is safe”.

“How do you know that?”, Alex questioned.

“My excellent investigative skills as a reporter”, Kara touted back as she straightened her posture and adjusted her glasses further up on her nose with one finger trying to conceal further details.

“Kara, you may know how to fly, but you don’t know how to lie. I know you’re holding something back. Now spill”, demanded Alex as she narrowed her eyes onto Kara in a look that had a proven track record of making the younger sister cave.

“Okaaayyyy”, she dragged out her submissive response. “All I know is she’s planning some kind of surprise for your Labor Day trip and she wanted to make sure you liked it too. That’s all I know. Honest!”, Kara said as she raised her hands in the air in a plea of innocence.

“But I’m planning the trip. How would she even know where to”, her question was stopped short by her younger sisters hand being placed over her mouth.

“Alex please don’t finish that question. You know there is more and you know I can’t lie, but I really, really don’t wanna spoil all of this for you,” Kara begged with her hand still covering Alex’s mouth. “Do you promise you will let this go?”, she asked her older sister.

Alex, unable to speak, nodded her head in a confirming manor causing Kara to slowly move her hand back from Alex’s face.

Unable to help herself, Alex continued, “all I was going to say was that we are going to Midvale to hang around the mountain range so I just don’t know how you plan a surprise without knowing much about the place you are going...”, she stopped herself when she noticed Kara pulling the blanket over her head in an attempt to hide from the impending glare.

“Why can’t you just let her do something nice for you?”, Kara said with a muffled voice from under the blanket. “You don’t always need to be in control”, she finished.

“Take that thing off”, Alex said as she removed the blanket. Kara was adjusting her hair and glasses as Alex continued, “it’s not about control...I mean MAYBE it’s a little about control, but...it’s also that I just want to do something nice for Kelly. I feel like she was there for me during the adoption panic and now she’s uprooted her life and moved to MY city. She’s just done so much for me and I want to make her feel special”.

“Hey. You’ve been there for her too. It’s not one-sided”, she continued after a small pause,”you know I think you both are so used to being the helper. Being there for other people all the time. You have trouble receiving instead of giving”, she finished.

“Ok you do need to stop hanging out with my therapist girlfriend”, Alex touted back at the psychological analysis. 

“Ha. Ha”, Kara replied sarcastically.

“Thanks though, Kar. Really. I do need to lose some of the control. I don’t want to make the same mistakes I’ve made in the past. I really want this to work. It feels like a second chance and I don’t want to blow it”, said Alex.

“You won’t”, Kara continued, “but on that subject, are you sure you want to take Kelly home so soon? That feels like a lot”.

“Oh. I already confirmed with mom multiple times that she will be visiting with her friend Cecile in Central City for that weekend and the place will be empty. I thought it could be a nice way of wading into the family waters. She could see the house and town and all, but I don’t think either of us are ready for moms”, she finished.

“Makes sense”, Kara replied as the couch started vibrating a bit. Alex realized she had been sitting on her phone as a barrage of text messages started coming in. She looked down at the screen.

K: Sooooo.....

K: We have a bit of an SOS.

K: My mom is coming into town and she wants to meet you.

K: I didn’t even tell her about you yet, but James apparently let it slip and now she is coming. She is coming to National City.

K: I’m freaking out a bit. Please call me when you guys finish movie night. We should talk.

Alex’s face had a little bit of a shocked expression as she looked up from the screen back at Kara. Kelly had always been so cool and calm. The panic in her messages unnerved Alex a bit.

“Earth to Alex”, Kara waves her hand in front of her sister’s face. “What’s up?”

“I guess we are jumping into the family-waters sooner than I thought”, she said as she showed Kara her phone.


	3. That’ll Be $75.00

“Ok so you really have me freaked,” Alex said as she greeted Kelly in her apartment.

“I’m sorry. I panicked. I should have just said ‘we need to talk’,” Kelly replied.

“No please. Never do that,” Alex responded with emphasis.

“You know what I mean…I didn’t mean to ruin your night thinking about my mom visiting…you know, like she kind of did mine”, Kelly looked down with defeat as she finished her statement.

“Hey’” Alex said softly as she approached her girlfriend to wrap her up into her arms. Stroking her back as they swayed in their embrace, “it’s gonna be ok. Just tell me what you’re feeling. What are you worried about?”

Kelly pulled away slightly and took a deep breath.

“Let’s sit down,” Alex suggested as she grabbed Kelly’s hand to lead her towards the couch.

Just as the pair got comfortable on opposite ends of the couch, Alex suddenly said, “wait!”

She bounced up so quickly that it caught Kelly off guard. Alex ran over to the refrigerator and rustled through some of it’s contents to emerge with a bottle of wine. Kicking the fridge door shut, she used her one free hand to scoop up two glasses on her way back to the couch. As she ran back and started pouring a generous helping for each she resigned, “ok. Now, go.”

Her little comedic routine garnered a small smile from her partner.

“You’re great,” Kelly responded.

“Uh oh. ‘We need to talk’ and ‘you’re great’, are terrifying enough on their own, but together it sounds like you are about to throw a grenade onto our relationship right now,” Alex said.

“No, no. I just mean that I was all in my head and then you were you and now my soul feels lighter”.

“I aim to please,” Alex said as she leaned in for a kiss. It was soft and simple, but felt to Kelly like being wrapped in the warmest embrace. As Alex pulled back, she continued, “so what’s going on?”

“Ok,” Kelly paused. “I love my mom. I do. And she loves me. I know that. But...when I came out, something changed and it’s never really felt the same”.

“I thought James said your mom was cool with your sexuality.”

“She is…I mean…she did handle it pretty well. She said she still loved me the same and she’s never said anything really to the contrary, but…,” she trailed off searching for the words. “You know I have worked with clients that lost everything when they came out. They were called the most awful names by their folks. They were kicked out. Disowned. One woman I worked with left home at eighteen and cut off all contact, but her mom still sends her conversion therapy pamphlets in the mail. Just to remind her that she is living a ‘perverse lifestyle’. I mean it’s the most horrible response from people who are there to show you that you are loved and how to love others. And every story like this makes me so grateful for my mom”.

“But…,” Alex prompted.

“But…I don’t know. When I was younger, she would always talk up boys she thought I liked…or that I should like. She was so excited to show me how to slow dance for my first middle school dance. She must have spent hours helping me with my hair and make-up for my first date sophomore year. Even when stupid Jamal Henderson broke up with me during fall homecoming in eleventh grade, she bought all the ice cream and rented some of my favorite movies for a break-up kit,” Kelly paused to smile to herself, but her mouth soon started to turn down as she appeared to fight back tears of confusion. “You know when I came out, I expected yelling. I expected Bible verses. I did,” she took a beat before continuing, “but she just said ‘ok…I love you Kelly and I always will. And that was it. She has really never brought it up again. When my aunts and cousins get together and ask about who I am seeing or why I am not married, she just says, ‘you know Kelly, the military keeps her all over the world’”.

The two sat in silence for a little while. Alex was picturing all of the warm moments Kelly had just described and then seeing them all turn colder and more distant as years passed. It broke her heart and she could see it was breaking Kelly’s.

“I know how to deal with conflict,” Kelly continued with a thought she had been processing. “Or even the freeze of a total shut down, but it’s this cooler silence that’s just harder for me to address. And I don’t know…maybe it helps that I was always traveling with the army and so much of our one-on-one talks were kept only to the highlights over a brief facetimes,” she trailed off before finishing, “so I mean that’s it. We don’t talk about my love life. I’ve never brought anyone home and she has never asked. And now, she is coming to town so suddenly and is asking to meet you and I don’t know how to process that and what to expect”. She looked up at Alex with expecting, but unsure eyes.

Alex took a moment, bit her lower lip and said, “come here” as she pulled Kelly into her arms in a cuddling embrace. Rocking very slightly and stroking her back as she had done earlier, Alex began to speak, “I am so sorry your mom hasn’t fully embraced everything about you. I know how painful it is to keep a part of you from someone and it’s awful. And you don’t need to feel grateful that there wasn’t a blow out, you can still feel hurt and distanced in the absence of conflict”. Alex paused as she started to feel the warm sensation of small tears on her chest where Kelly’s face was nuzzled. “Your feelings are so valid. You deserve to be fully known, you know?” She looked down at the top of Kelly’s head where she placed a small kiss.

“Who is the therapist here?” Kelly said as she started to smile just a bit through the tears.

“That’ll be $75.00”, Alex joked as she held a hand out for money.

Kelly’s small smile turned to laughter as she sat up from their embrace.

“Send the bill to my girlfriend insurance,” Kelly touted back.

“Oh,” Alex paused as she put her hand like a phone to her ears, “yes, it appears you have full coverage. You must have an excellent girlfriend”.

“I think I’ll keep her”.

Alex broke into a smile and continued, “I am here for you. I know you don’t know what to expect, but I am confident we can get through it. Together.”

“It could be miserable. She could have been holding in everything all these years,” Kelly responded.

“It could also be awesome. I don’t want to brag, but I am actually great with parents. I am super responsible and I clean up pretty nicely,” Alex said with sarcastic confidence.

“That you do, Danvers. That you do”.

The two went in at the same time for a kiss. While it started as one of comfort like the last, it escalated into something hotter and more passionate. As arms started to linger further onto one another, Kelly climbed into Alex’s lap to kiss her more fully and deeply. Suddenly, she paused and pulled back, “are you sure you’re ready for this?”

Alex replied, not with words, but by placing a trail of soft and sensual kisses along Kelly’s neck down to her collarbone, a favorite move of her girlfriend’s. “Does that answer your question?” Alex asked as she stopped for a moment.

“Mmmhhmmm,”, Kelly confirmed as she smiled and bit her lip, going back into the tangle of bodies they had created before.


	4. A Charlie Brown Mother’s Day Special

The beep of the alarm was a cold, harsh wake up call for Kelly as she was startled from her warm slumber in a mess of blankets that smelled of her love. Then, reality set in even more. Her heart plummeted as she realized why the alarm had been set. Free Saturdays were normally reserved for sleeping in, drawn out cuddles and searching online for new brunch spots until it was actually lunch time. Free Saturday mornings were for Alex.

Today, was for her mother.

Pulling her heart up from the floor, Kelly mustered the strength to sit up. As the world began to come into focus from her sleepy eyes, she received a sudden jolt of energy when she got a whiff of the most heavenly smell. Drawing her attention to Alex’s kitchen, she realized her girlfriend was standing behind the island which held the contents of her heavenly wake up call.

Noonan’s coffee and croissants. The crown jewel of java and pastries as far as Kelly was concerned. She’s traveled the world a few times over, but she had to admit National City had the best.

“Good morning, beautiful,” Alex said as she smiled, walking around the island to sit on one of the bar stools and taking a sip of coffee. She was fully dressed for the day, complete with her motorcycle jacket still on from her errand. While Kelly wasn’t so sure about the motorcycle itself, she had to admit the look was a big turn-on. Putting the cup down, Alex gently patted the seat next to her. 

“You got coffee,” she paused to form an overly ‘touched’ facial expression and headed towards the barstools. “And you have clothes,” she finished as she sat down.

“Yeah...sorry to disappoint on that end,” Alex smiled teasingly as she placed a ‘good morning’ kiss on her girlfriend’s lips.

“Oh!,” Kelly said as she suddenly pulled back and then covered her mouth. “God, I haven’t brushed my teeth yet.

“Kelly Olsen, I’m very certain we have exchanged a hundred early morning kisses,” Alex reassured her.

“Yeah, but you look all clean and ready and perfect and I’m still in my nightie and head-wrap and I suddenly feel like that one Peanut that’s always covered in dirt,” Kelly said pitifully.

“Ok, first off, it’s Pig-pen. And he was very well loved by all the Peanuts,” she continued, “ but I’d say you’re channeling a more beautiful Linus look this morning.”

“Is he the blanket one?” Kelly asked still trying to fully wake up. 

“Yes, my little Peanut, he’s the blanket one,” Alex replied placing a kiss on Kelly’s forehead. “We really need to revisit Charlie Brown over the holidays”.

“We never really watched those movies. There’s like one black Peanut and no one even knows his name,” Kelly responded.

Alex smiled in return. Her plan of engaging Kelly in something mindless and distracting to wake her up and keep her mind off of her mother’s visit was working. “His name is Franklin,” she continued, “and he was created by Shultz in 1968 in defiance of readers in the midst of the civil rights movement asking him not to have black characters mix in with the other Peanuts. I’d say that’s a pretty important role.”

“You’re such an ally,” Kelly said sarcastically.

“I try,” Alex joked back.

Kelly shook her head, smiling and silently laughing to herself. She leaned in for a second kiss. This one would not be interrupted for a long time. 

The cold morning of the room melted away fully in the deep, warm exchange between the two. Not wanting it to end, but suddenly remembering what the day had in store, Kelly pulled back slowly, eyes still closed trying to hold on to the feeling a bit longer. Her hands had made their way to Alex’s leather jacket collar, as they often did. Keeping them there a bit longer she said, “thank you. For the coffee. And the kisses. And just being you. It helps.”

“Yeah? You feel better about us seeing your mom today?”, Alex said.

“It helps,” Kelly repeated.

Alex knew her girlfriend’s reply meant she was still very nervous. She reached up to place one hand on Kelly’s cheek, stroking it reassuringly with her thumb. “We are going to get through it. But first, coffee”.

“Always,” Kelly smiled before she took a sip. She didn’t know what the day would hold, but she did know this woman she was falling for had become her rock and that her rock would not be moved.


	5. Picnic Panic

They had been walking around the National City Botanical Park for almost an hour before Alex grabbed Kelly’s hand, pointed to a flat spot by a pond and said,”OK. Blanket. Basket. Here. It’s perfect. Please let this spot be perfect.”

“Are you sure? What if the ducks come too close? Or we get splashed?” Kelly replied.

“Is your mom allergic to ducks or water?” Alex snapped back.

“No,” Kelly responded with a pitiful tone.

“It’s a great spot. Now. Blanket,” she said teaching her hand out.

The two unfolded the blanket and set out the contents of the picnic basket: a large charcuterie tray with all Mrs. Olsen’s favorites. It took several hours and multiple Trader Joe’s to find everything on Kelly’s very curated list. Alex had remained patient and supportive but as the planning went on, the reality had started to set in for herself as well. She was great with parents, but like Kelly, she had no idea what was in store. Alex’s mind came back to the moment as she saw James approaching with Mrs. Olsen by his side. She initially wasn’t sure about involving him in the days events, but suddenly felt a sigh of relief. She had to have Kelly’s back in this moment, but someone had to have her’s too.

“Wow this new app from Obsidian is freakishly accurate,” James said as he approached the pair showing them his phone and the location “pin” drop that Kelly had sent him to find the picnic spot.

Both Alex and Kelly has hurried to their feet. Alex, suddenly very self-conscious of Kelly’s mom trailing right behind James, started dusting off her clothes. Kelly reaches up to embrace her brother briefly before her mom’s steps hurried.

“Hey baby,” Diane Olsen said as she opened her arms into the air calling for Kelly. The two swayed in their tight hug for a moment before separating. 

“Hey mom. How are you feeling? How’s the hotel? You sure you don’t want my bed. I know how your back can get,” Kelly started rambling a bit. 

“I’m fine. I’m fine. I’ve got a mini-bar full of little bourbons and whiskies and a hot-tub in my hotel. At your place, I’d have text books some fruity wine. I’m good,” Diane said as she dismissed Kelly’s anxieties aside and started to focus her eyes in on her daughter’s new girlfriend.

“You must be Alex,” Diane acknowledged as she reached the blanket.

“Yes,” Alex paused and suddenly questioned her informality, “Yes, ma’am,” she finished as she extended her hand out to Diane.

“Oh no. That won’t due,” Diane said almost chuckling as she put her arms up for a hug. “This is a family picnic. Not a business deal. Bring it here”.

Alex walked towards Diane, briefly looking over to Kelly to validate her actions, and finally joining Diane in the embrace. Debating for what felt like an eternity, Alex finally decided to be the one to pull out of the hug and take a step back.

“It’s really nice to meet you Mrs. Olsen,” Alex quickly pivoted after another moment of self doubt, “Diane? What should I call you? I mean what feels right?” said Alex.

“Feels right?”, Diane laughed to herself. “My Kelly must be rubbing off on you. You can call me Mama Diane. All of Kelly’s friends have”.

The group’s flow all rushed to a halt when they all individually processed the word choice: “friends”.

Realizing her comment had created an awkward moment, Diane continued, “well, you know what I mean. Everyone in the kids’ lives”.

Gaining composure back from the moment, Kelly mustered enough confidence to say, “so we got all your favorites, mom. Let’s dig in before the ants do”.

After some minutes that felt like hours filled with questioning every choice from food to seating arrangements to posture, the group finally settled in to start eating. 

James, recognizing he had the least to lose in this anticipated meet-up, started the conversation,”so I took mom to Noonan’s this morning and she sweet talked the barista into popping in fresh almond croissant.” 

“That sound about right,” Kelly said as she looked to include Alex. “Mom has a way with charm and guilt trips. She once got us two-for-one giant Scooby Doo stuffed animals at the fair after knocking down only one of three pins at the game booth.”

Alex smiled thinking about little Kelly holding a giant stuffed dog, too big to fit into her arms.

“Well, it’s all about making people feel like they know you,” Diane said taking the compliment. “Then you’ve got them where you want them,” she finished jokingly.

Or was she joking? Alex wondered if her hug from earlier was a part of some larger tactic. Realizing she was getting caught up in her own paranoia, she looked over at Kelly who she could tell was struggling to come up with conversation. Alex wanted to be her hero in that moment and tried to take the lead to help with the pressure. “Well, I’ll need to learn your tricks because this one,” she said looking at Kelly, “is obsessed with those things. I brought her back one this morning in fact and she had it gobbled in seconds”.

“Brought them back?” Diane questioned. “Are you two living together already?”

“No. No, mom. I stayed over at Alex’s place last night,” Kelly said as she suddenly felt self-conscious. She wasn’t sure why she sounded defensive at the thought of living with Alex or why she felt weirdly embarrassed about staying over. She was a grown woman, but this new dynamic with her mother wanting to know about her love life had her on edge and questioning the motive of everything.

“That’s nice,” Diane replied.

Nice? What did that mean? The two new girlfriends both started tossing around word choice thoughts in their heads as the group became silent again.

James swooped in once again, “yeah, Alex is a terrible cook, but she does have great taste in take-out.”

“Hey! I can cook some things,” Alex pretended to be offended but was secretly relieved someone had moved the conversation along.

“Babe. The microwave does not count,” Kelly joked. As she went to stroke Alex’s cheek, she noticed her mother was looking down. Did she say something wrong? 

Things blurred away for Kelly as James jump started the conversation again. The hot and cold chemistry of the group and the off looks from her mother left her unable to fully engage anymore. She smiled, nodded and contributed the odd comment, but she was more than relieved when her mom said she needed to head back to the hotel for a jet lag recovery nap.

———————-

Alex and Kelly stayed back to clean up the picnic supplies. 

“That wasn’t so bad,” Alex said as she scooped up the last of the dishes into the basket. Kelly was standing up folding the blanket. She was too silent for Alex’s comfort.

“Kelly. Babe. Come here,” she said as she reached her hand up inviting Kelly to down opposite her on the grass. “What’s wrong? I know we had some awkward moments, but that happens. I think we hit it off ok.”

“Those moments just so happened to always coincide with mention of us as a couple. Being together,” Kelly admitted what had been plaguing her. “I was hoping I was just being paranoid about her not fully accepting my queerness. I thought her asking to meet you meant she was ready, but it just felt off and now I have this stale taste in my mouth and..,” she trailed off as the tears that had started to come down began to overtake her ability to maintain her normal, confident composure.

“Oh, Kel,” Alex said as she pulled her girlfriend into her chest. As tears soaked her shirt, Alex still rocked kelly back and forth a bit. There was nothing she could do to change the situation, but she could be there.

The soothing motion calmed Kelly enough to sit back up and wipe her tears away. “I can’t go to this game night with her tonight. All those people. I think I need to talk to her beforehand.”

“Ok. No problem. You want me to come?” Alex offered.

“More than anything, I do, but I need to speak with her alone. I need to bring us out of this cool, stalemate and get to the bottom of things,” Kelly said.

“I get that. And I’ll be here no matter how it goes.”


	6. Hotel Room Therapy

While she soothed her anxieties with her favorite jazz selections on the way over to the hotel, any remnants of that peace had subsided by the time Kelly applied a hesitant knock on her mother’s hotel door.

In the hours since she had sent the text asking to meet up, she had to have Alex keep her phone away as to not cancel and the two had rehearsed every possible scenario. But now she was all alone. 

The door opened as gently as the knock. “Hey baby,” Diane greeted her daughter as she always did. 

Kelly could tell she was still a bit sleepy from earlier. “Mom, you seem tired still. I wish you would have told me you needed longer.” She knew her comment was more to find an ‘out’ for herself rather than the well-being of her mother. 

“Now how could I sleep after you said you needed to talk? You had me all worried. Last time you said that, you were off to join the military and I had nightmares for weeks that you’d follow in your daddy’s footsteps in more ways than one,” Diane said as both women became a bit more solemn in the moment, thinking of their departed soldier.

In truth, Kelly often took for granted how much her father’s death still impacted her mother. Diane Olsen appeared to have it together from day one. After her father’s death, her mom stayed active with their military friends and went from support group member to leader within weeks. In fact, Kelly had only ever seen her mother cry at the funeral. Kelly Olsen saw her mother as a superhero survivor of trauma. 

“Well I didn’t mean to scare you. It’s nothing big, really. I just wanted to,” Kelly took a moment to choose her next words carefully, “touch base. Before the crowd tonight.”

“Ok. Well,” Diane gestured towards the chairs in her hotel room,”come on in.”

Kelly took some time to adjust in the chair opposite her mother. She was familiar with the set up. Two chairs. Two people. One about to unload their feelings. Only this time, she suddenly felt like the roles were reversed in a most uncomfortable fashion.

Noticing the delay and hesitation on her daughter’s face, Diane started, “what’s going on, baby? Is everything ok with work? The military giving you a hard time with your leave? I still have the commander’s cell phone on speed dial from your MIA scare last Thanksgiving.”

Kelly laughed at little at the thought of her 5 foot tall mother calling up her giant of a commander to tell him off. “No, no. Work is good. National City is great,” she paused, “and Alex is...well...perfect.”

“That’s great. And Alex seems very nice,” Diane replied almost automatically. 

“Is it, mom? Because I just couldn’t help but feel like you felt uncomfortable with her earlier. With...us,” Kelly confessed.

“Now, Kelly, you know I’m fine with you being gay,” Diane said as she moved her hand to grab a hold of her daughter’s arm. As she did though, Kelly pulled her arms into a crossed position on her chest.

The silent moment in between words felt like it lasted an eternity. Like the two were worlds apart.

“I know you are fine with my being a lesbian. I guess I just don’t actually FEEL it,” Kelly finished. It was like a giant anchor had been lifted, but she it was replaced with a feeling of panic not knowing where the confession might sail to next.

She had suspected her mother, never short of confident words, would reply to the contrary immediately, but as Kelly looked up, she just saw her mother’s face become overcome with what appeared to be confusion, or maybe guilt. She decided to continue herself, “You used to talk to me about dances and dates and first kisses when it was with boys. But when I came out, it felt like you just shut all interest in that part of me away. It felt like...it FEELS like rejection. Like you can’t help but wish I was straight. Like I’m not the daughter you expected...or...wanted.” At that last line, Kelly could feel the streams of tears pouring down her face. She suddenly felt like a child again. Vulnerable and dependent on what her mother might say or do next.

Diane, trying to keep her own composure, took a deep breath and shocked Kelly with her next words. “It isn’t....what I wanted. For you. That’s true.”

Kelly’s tears morphed into a face of horror. Her heart began to beat in a rage at this unexpected turn.

Noticing the expected panic, Diane reached the hand she had extended our earlier and pulled both of Kelly’s into her own.

“Listen. Let me finish,” she continued, “when your father died, something changed in me. I felt like a couldn’t grieve. I felt suddenly like I had to be both parents to you and James. I needed to be strong and I needed to protect you. It was hard.”

Kelly nodded silently trying to see where her mother was going with her thoughts.

“When you...came out to me, I was panicking. On the inside. The truth is, I didn’t know what to say. I didn’t know how the hell I felt. I knew I loved you, but I didn’t know the first thing about what it was to be a lesbian. Especially as a teenager. Still in high school. Still around kids that might bully you. Only thing I knew was your father’s training mate Ben got jumped when he came out to someone else in the platoon. He came over to our house to get cleaned up. It was terrifying and I wondered why anyone would choose to be gay. The more I got to know Ben, the more I realized it wasn’t a choice. He was attacked for just being himself,” Diane paused.

“Mom...”, Kelly wanted to ask why she had never heard this tale before. Though in truth, she knew.

“Wait,” Diane stopped her daughter so she could continue, “I was scared for you. That was the main thing. But I was also scared for me. I knew how to handle the boys that would hang around you. I knew how to teach a girl to dance with a boy. I knew all the tricks the boys would use on you and I knew how to train you to protect yourself from them, but I knew nothing about dating a girl. A woman. I didn’t know the right words. Or labels. Terms. I just,” she paused again, “I didn’t know. And I didn’t have your dad there to help me know. To learn together. I felt alone and scared and I was supposed to be supermom....so I froze. And I think to keep my fear at bay, I did freeze that part of who you are out. And I’m...I’m...I’m so sorry, baby,” her mom barely finished as she began to weep.

Kelly, still a mess of tears herself, suddenly couldn’t bare the physical distance as the emotional walls began to collapse. She knelt down on the floor in front of her mother’s chair and pulled her down into an embrace.

“Oh, mom,” Kelly sighed in relief. 

Gaining some composure, Diane pulled back a bit to look down at her daughter’s face. “I love you, Kelly. And I am so proud of the woman you have become. I am not ashamed of any part of you and I am so sorry I let my own fear put out any of your light. You shine, baby. You do. And I don’t want you to feel like I don’t want to hear about any part of your life. Or about any woman that makes you feel loved the way you deserve.”

Kelly couldn’t even begin to form words through the tears.

“I’m sorry and I’m going to do better,” Diane assured her as stood up, pulling Kelly from the floor into a tight embrace.

“I love you, baby”, she said.

“I love you, mom,” Kelly found her words.

The two stood in their hug for a long while. The pain of many silent moments washing away into a new promise.

“Oh man,” Kelly sighed as she wiped the tears from her eyes. “I am going to be a mess for game night.”

Her mother was quiet for a moment and then said, “I think I’m going to skip game night.”

“What? Why? Is it just too soon? Was this too much,” Kelly questioned.

“I think I’m going to skip and I’m going to ask Alex to have some dinner with me. Alone,” Diane responded with resolve.

“Mom...,” Kelly tried to cut in.

Diane stopped her daughter short to explain herself. “I knew when my daughter became serious about some...one...I would want to talk to that person alone. To get to know them and to be sure of that ...person’s intentions. And I was trying so hard earlier to be so casual with Alex that I didn’t really do that earlier.”

“So you’re saying you want to...vet?...threaten?...her,” Kelly said half joking.

“I want to know the woman who brought us this moment,” Diane replied.

“Will you bring her back in one piece?”

“Promise,” Diane said as she brought Kelly into one final hug.


	7. The Diane Debrief

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> This is the end of the second part of my ongoing Dansen series. 
> 
> Thank you to everyone who has been following. Your words of encouragement have really helped in my momentum.

Fearing game night would be accompanied by more questions about why Alex and her mother weren’t there, Kelly couldn’t bring herself to meet up with the group. She had pretty much instantly regretted that decision. Unable to focus on tv, books or exercise, she found herself pacing about and counting the seconds between phone checking sessions. Alex promised she’d call her as soon as she left Diane Olsen at the hotel.

A sudden knock at the door startled Kelly from her worried thoughts. Walking over to the peep hole, she saw the object of her worry. Alex was standing just outside her door. “Babe, open up. It’s me.”

Kelly opened the door with a confused look on her face. “You said you would call. You didn’t call. You didn’t call and now you’re here...is that bad? Did something bad happen?”

“Hey, hey. Shhh. Calm down, Kel,” Alex put her arm around her girlfriend as she laughed silently to herself.

The women walked over to the couch and took a seat opposite one another.

“She threatened me!” Alex said with some glee in her voice.

“Really?” Kelly questioned with hopeful anticipation.

After an affirming nod from Alex, Kelly said, “that’s great!” She learned in to pull her girlfriend’s face in for a quick kiss. Pulling back she said, “oh and now I hear myself. How weird is it to be excited about my mother threatening my new girlfriend?”

“Pretty weird, maybe. But when she said she ‘still knows some people high up who would look the other way’, I felt pretty special to be considered worth of such a favor,” Alex said as her impression of Diane made both of the women burst out into giggles.

“So other than that bright news, it went well?” asked Kelly.

“It was really good, you know?,” Alex continued, “we talked about my family and work and some of my goals. I told her how we started falling for one another when you were supporting me through the failed adoption...she was very, very pleased I wanted to be a mom. Scarily so, actually. But yeah, it was all good. Much better than the picnic.”

“That is,” Kelly paused, “the biggest relief”. Kelly said as she moved to position herself over to snuggle into her girlfriend’s arms. Laying her head on Alex’s chest, their heartbeats began to relax into a soothing synchronization.

“Do you feel better?” Alex said as she placed a kiss on top of Kelly’s head below her.

“I feel like this is real...when you were out with mom, I kept thinking about our conversation from earlier. I’ve always been so confident in my sexuality. In my own skin. I haven’t questioned it or been ashamed in any way, but hearing my mom say those words earlier today, I realized I hadn’t just been keeping a part of myself from her, but I’d been keeping a part of my life from my past relationships. Realizing today would meld them both. That she would know you and how special you are and that you would know that part of me...I just...,” Kelly trailed off.

“Felt whole?” Alex asked.

“Exactly,” Kelly replied as she sat up a bit to meet Alex face-to-face. She continued, “I started this week telling James that I do sometimes feel like I’m walking in to this family, this story halfway though. And I know that I’m welcome, but it’s taking time not to feel like an add-on. But after today, I just want you to know that it feels like we have our own story and I’m really excited to start living it.”

Alex’s face broke out into a closed, mouth smile. Not entirely sure what if she was pleased or laughing at her, Kelly asked, “was that corny? Did I ruin the moment?”

Alex lifted her right hand up to tuck a piece of Kelly’s hair behind her ear. When it was successfully in place, she used that hand to pull her girlfriend into a kiss. The tenderness of their lips reflected that of the moment. A new kind of intimacy had sprung up between them today.

“Does that answer your question?” Alex said as she leaned out of the kiss. Her hand still resting on Kelly’s cheek.

“Hmmm. I think I’m going to need more clarification,” Kelly teased as she climbed up to straddle Alex on the end of the couch and bent down to pull her girlfriend’s face back to her own.

“That can be arranged,” Alex smiled as she went in for the object of her desire. She knew tonight would be a steamy chapter in their story and she was happy to play her role.

———

Next, a mountain getaway.


End file.
